Tulisa said a sex tape being leaked online of her had been ‘horrifying’ (Picture: PA)

Former X Factor judge Tulisa Contostavlos today described as ‘horrifying’ the leaking online of a sex tape featuring her.

The ex-N-Dubz singer told a court: ‘It was one of the worst times of my life.’

She said a former boyfriend had taken ‘what was supposed to be private footage of us’ and many years later had tried to sell it.

Giving evidence in her trial where she is accused of assaulting Savvas Morgan, a blogger who leaked the tape, she said: ‘I feel that some of the things he [Morgan] was doing were very mean, I didn’t like the man, but he was one of many people who had issues or dramas with me. It’s part of my life and I’m pretty used to it by now.’

But she described the incident as nothing more than a ‘playground slanging match’ used as part of his ‘vendetta’ against her. He claims he ended up with a swollen eye.

Contostavlos said Mr Morgan had attempted to follow her to the motorhome where she was staying during the event. She asked him to stop and insisted her hands were behind her back at all times.

‘There was a point that I swore. At the start I was trying to be calm – but this approach didn’t seem to work with him as he got more heated,’ she said.

She told the court how she was branded ‘a slag, a whore and a nobody’ by Mr Morgan. She said he also referred to her mother’s mental illness. According to police, stars who saw the incident unfold include Mutya Buena of the Sugababes and Alexandra Burke.

Contostavlos, from north London, denies an assault charge.

Her personal assistant, Gareth Vaney, also denies using threatening behaviour during last August’s altercation.